With the emergence of the Industry 4.0 paradigm and transformative technologies such as the Internet of Things, Cyber-Physical Systems, and Artificial Intelligence, the fields of logistics and fleet management are undergoing substantial changes. Nevertheless, the existing body of research remains fragmented and lacks conceptual coherence in systematically examining the role, position, and underlying mechanisms through which these technologies influence both classical and complex variants of the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). Addressing this gap constitutes the primary motivation of the present study.This research adopts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology and strictly follows the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to collect, screen, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the relevant literature. A structured search across the Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and and other reputable scientific databases resulted in the selection and analysis of 27 representative studies published between 2011 and 2025.
The findings reveal a significant gap between the growing complexity of algorithmic models proposed in the literature and the practical considerations required for their implementation within integrated Industry 4.0 ecosystems. To address this shortcoming, the study proposes a three-dimensional conceptual framework that captures the dynamic interaction among the nature of the problem, the role of technology, and the level of decision-making. This framework not only synthesizes the existing literature at a higher conceptual level but also provides a structured direction for future research aimed at achieving deeper integration between Industry 4.0 technologies and vehicle routing problems.